It’s a classic tale set about a young girl falling in love with a sweet Prince.
And the ballet classic certainly mirrors Australian-born Mary and Prince Fred’s own love story.
The proud parents took their four kids Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine to the opening night of The Nutcracker in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The family were out in full force!
Braving the cold, the beloved royals rugged up in stylish coats, with Mary, Fred and their eldest 11-year-old Christian, all donning thick wooly scarves.
While all the kids showed off their sweet smiles it was five-year-old Princess Josephine who stole the show, putting on a charming display and even giving the cameras a twirl!
Also heading to the ballet opening night was Prince Fred’s former sister-in-law, Countess Alexandra.
The 52-year-old, who was the first wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, the younger son of Queen Margrethe, brought their two sons, Prince Felix and Prince Henrik.
Look at that cheeky smile!
Prince Fred’s former sister-in-law Countess Alexandra attended the event with her boys.
The exciting Christmas production of the ballet happens to have the royal touch.
Fred’s mother, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, designed all the sets and costumes herself!
“I’m looking very much forward to the opening night,” the Queen mused.
“I’m very excited and full of positive anticipation, I would say. I can see that it is shaping well and that everybody’s enthusiastic, I think,” the 76-year-old said of the production.
A woman of many talents! Queen Margrethe illustrated the Danish translation of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien in the 1970s under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer.
The lively 76-year-old is accompanied by her little granddaughters.
The accomplished leader not only rules Denmark, but she’s also a talented painter.
In fact, for the past decade, Her Majesty has dipped into her creative side and designed sets for numerous productions at the Pantomime Theatre in Tivoli.
With her experience and creative flair, the Queen’s work with the ballet is beloved by those audiences and her colleagues alike.
Jennifer Wagstaffe, one of the company’s ballerinas spoke about what it’s like working with the Queen.
“It’s always exciting to work with her. And she has such a passion for what she does, when she’s making costumes and designing the sets.”
While ballet dancer Kathleen Videira explained, “She’s made it very clear that she wants to be treated as our costume designer and that’s all.”
“Her costumes are really unique. They have a lot of detail, which puts a nice touch to the end look of the production.”
**Watch the Danish royal talk about her work with The Nutcracker! Article continues…*
Speaking of Queen Margrethe’s work with The Nutcracker, the ballet’s choreographer Peter Bo Bendixen revealed why she is so good at what she does.
“It wouldn’t be Christmas without The Nutcracker, a true classic brimming with adventure and magic for children and their families.”
“Thanks to the Queen’s eye for those little extra details in both set design and costumes, there’s a whole world for audiences to discover.”
Concluding, “This is the third time The Nutcracker has been staged at Tivoli, and we’ve added new touches to make this performance very special.”
At the end of the performance, Queen Margrethe was greeted with applause and cheers as she joined the cast, choreographer, and lighting designer onstage.
Queen Margrethe designed the sets and costumes for a 2012 production of The Nutcracker and tweaked them for the 2016 run.
